U.S. patent application number 16/691538 was filed with the patent office on 2020-08-20 for exhaust muffler structure.
The applicant listed for this patent is HONDA MOTOR CO.,LTD.. Invention is credited to Junji HIGASHIYAMA, Ryosuke KINOSHITA.
Application Number | 20200263578 16/691538 |
Document ID | 20200263578 / US20200263578 |
Family ID | 1000004521748 |
Filed Date | 2020-08-20 |
Patent Application | download [pdf] |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200263578 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HIGASHIYAMA; Junji ; et
al. |
August 20, 2020 |
EXHAUST MUFFLER STRUCTURE
Abstract
An exhaust muffler structure to which an exhaust pipe for
guiding exhaust gas from an engine to an exhaust muffler is
connected, the exhaust muffler structure comprising a catalyst
device, included inside the exhaust muffler structure, having a
catalyst for purifying the exhaust gas of the engine, wherein the
catalyst device has one end connected to the exhaust pipe and is
supported inside the exhaust muffler via the exhaust pipe, and a
body portion of the catalyst device is supported by a first
partition wall having an inner partition wall and an outer
partition wall that is on the outer side of the inner partition
wall, and the outer partition wall is fixed to the inner wall of
the exhaust muffler, and the inner partition wall is fixed to the
outer wall of the catalyst device.
Inventors: |
HIGASHIYAMA; Junji;
(Saitama, JP) ; KINOSHITA; Ryosuke; (Saitama,
JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HONDA MOTOR CO.,LTD. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004521748 |
Appl. No.: |
16/691538 |
Filed: |
November 21, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F01N 13/1838 20130101;
F01N 3/2885 20130101; F01N 2590/00 20130101; F01N 2450/22 20130101;
F01N 1/02 20130101; F01N 1/085 20130101; F01N 2230/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F01N 1/02 20060101
F01N001/02; F01N 3/28 20060101 F01N003/28; F01N 1/08 20060101
F01N001/08; F01N 13/18 20060101 F01N013/18 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 19, 2019 |
JP |
2019-027018 |
Claims
1. An exhaust muffler structure to which an exhaust pipe for
guiding exhaust gas from an engine to an exhaust muffler is
connected, the exhaust muffler structure comprising: a catalyst
device, included inside the exhaust muffler structure, having a
catalyst for purifying the exhaust gas of the engine, wherein the
catalyst device has one end connected to the exhaust pipe and is
supported inside the exhaust muffler via the exhaust pipe, and a
body portion of the catalyst device is supported by a first
partition wall having an inner partition wall and an outer
partition wall that is on an outer side of the inner partition
wall, and the outer partition wall is fixed to an inner wall of the
exhaust muffler, and the inner partition wall is fixed to an outer
wall of the catalyst device.
2. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 1, wherein the
outer partition wall and the inner partition wall respectively have
cylindrical contact surfaces that come in contact with one another,
and the outer partition wall and the inner partition wall are
provided slidably with respect to one another.
3. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 2, wherein the
catalyst is a metal catalyst that is supported on a metallic
carrier.
4. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 3, wherein the
exhaust muffler has a cylindrical shape whose axis is longer than a
diameter of the exhaust muffler, and front and rear ends of the
catalyst device are attached at a predetermined distance from the
inner wall of the exhaust muffler.
5. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 4, wherein the
catalyst device is supported inside the exhaust muffler by the
first partition wall such that the axis of the catalyst device is
inclined with respect to the axis of the exhaust muffler, a
throttle-shaped cylinder portion is provided on the rear end of the
catalyst device, and the throttle cylinder portion overlaps in the
axis direction of the exhaust muffler with a communication pipe
that is provided through a second partition wall that partitions
the inside of the exhaust muffler into a plurality of gas
chambers.
6. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 5, wherein the
contact surfaces are formed centered around an inclined axis that
passes through the center of the exhaust muffler.
7. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 5, wherein an
enlarged cylinder portion that connects the exhaust pipe and the
catalyst device and is enlarged from the exhaust pipe toward the
catalyst device is connected on an upstream side of the catalyst
device, and the enlarged cylinder portion is a part having a same
shape as the throttle cylinder portion.
8. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 1, wherein a
communication hole is formed through at least one of the inner
partition wall and the outer partition wall.
9. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 8, wherein in a
state where the exhaust muffler is installed on a vehicle, the
communication hole is positioned on a lower side and the inner side
of the exhaust muffler.
10. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 1, wherein the
exhaust pipe is integral with a front wall comprising a peripheral
wall that covers an upstream side of the exhaust muffler and is
integral with the inner partition wall, and the inner partition
wall is provided with a tapered guide portion.
11. The exhaust muffler structure according to claim 10, wherein
the exhaust pipe is formed by a first member and a second member,
and the peripheral wall, the first member, and the second member
are integrated by a weld bead.
Description
[0001] The contents of the following Japanese patent application
are incorporated herein by reference: 2019-027018 filed on Feb. 19,
2019.
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to an exhaust muffler
structure.
2. Related Art
[0003] There is known a muffler for a small-size vehicle that is
connected to an exhaust pipe connected to an engine and has a
catalyst inside (for example, see PTL 1 below). In addition, there
is known a straddle type vehicle including a pair of left and right
front wheels and rear wheels (for example, refer to PTL 2
below).
PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS
Patent Documents
[0004] PTL 1: Japanese Patent No. 5828390
[0005] PTL 2: Japanese Patent No. 6145486
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a side view diagram schematically showing a
straddle type vehicle 100.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a partial side-view diagram of the straddle type
vehicle 100 from which the vehicle body cover 51 and the engine 8
have been removed.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram showing the exhaust muffler
500.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional diagram showing the muffler stay
522.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective diagram
schematically showing the structure of the exhaust muffler 500.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional diagram schematically
showing the support structure of the catalyst device 700 inside the
exhaust muffler 500.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional diagram showing the cross
section along the line AA of FIG. 5.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a perspective diagram showing the outer appearance
of the outer partition wall 642.
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0014] While the present invention will be described below through
embodiments of the invention, the embodiments below shall not limit
the invention according to the scope of the claims. In addition,
not all the combinations of characteristics described in the
embodiments are essential for the solution of the invention. It is
noted that unless otherwise specified, components and the like
denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings have the
same configuration and function.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a side view diagram schematically showing a
straddle type vehicle 100. The straddle type vehicle 100 is a rough
terrain vehicle called an ATV. The straddle type vehicle 100 has a
relatively high minimum ground clearance mainly in order to improve
its running performance on rough terrain. The straddle type vehicle
100 includes pairs of left and right front wheels 2 and rear wheels
3 on the front and rear of a relatively small and light vehicle
body. The front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 are relatively
large-diameter low-pressure balloon tires.
[0016] It is noted that in the present embodiment, the direction
from the rear wheels 3 to the front wheels 2 is defined as the
front direction, and the direction from the front wheels 2 to the
rear wheels 3 is defined as the rear direction. When facing the
front wheels 2 from the rear wheels 3, the left hand side is
defined as the left and the right hand side is defined as the
right. The direction toward the ground when the front wheels 2 and
the rear wheels 3 of the straddle type vehicle 100 are in contact
with the ground is defined as the downward direction, and the
opposite direction of the downward direction is defined as the
upward direction.
[0017] The straddle type vehicle 100 includes a metal vehicle body
frame 4, a passenger seat 5, a vehicle body cover 51, and an engine
8. FIG. 2 is a partial side view diagram mainly showing the exhaust
system of the straddle type vehicle 100 and attachment of the
vehicle body frame 4. The vehicle body frame 4 is formed by
integrally joining metal materials including a plurality of metal
pipes by welding or the like. The vehicle body frame 4 has a shape
extending substantially in the front-rear direction in order to
support the front wheels 2, the rear wheels 3, and the like.
[0018] A pair of left and right independent suspension type front
suspensions 6 are provided on the left and right of the front part
of the vehicle body frame 4. The left and right front wheels 2 are
suspended via the left and right front suspensions 6. A pair of
left and right axle type rear suspensions 7 are provided on the
left and right of the rear part of the vehicle body frame 4. The
left and right rear wheels 3 are suspended via the left and right
rear suspensions 7.
[0019] The vehicle body frame 4 includes a frame body including
left and right upper pipes 41, left and right lower pipes 42, and a
plurality of rear pipes 43. The vehicle body frame 4 has a pair of
left and right frame bodies joined together via a plurality of
cross members, thereby forming a box structure that is elongated in
the front-rear direction at the center in the vehicle width
direction.
[0020] Each upper pipe 41 includes an upper inclined portion 410
that extends slightly obliquely rearward and downward in the
vehicle body front-rear direction, and a rear inclined portion 412
that extends obliquely rearward and downward from the rear end
portion of the upper inclined portion 410 at a larger inclination
angle. Each rear pipe 43 extends rearward from the connecting
portion between the upper inclined portion 410 and the rear
inclined portion 412 of the upper pipe 41 substantially
horizontally in the front-rear direction, and is connected with a
rear inclined portion 426 of the lower pipe 42 on its substantially
middle portion in the front-rear direction. The lower pipe 42
includes the rear inclined portion 426 that is connected to the
rear pipe 43 and the rear inclined portion 412 and extends
obliquely forward and downward, and a lower horizontal portion 424
that extends rearward substantially horizontally in the front-rear
direction from the lower end portion of the rear inclined portion
426.
[0021] A steering shaft 11 is supported at the center in the
left-right direction of the front part of the vehicle body frame 4.
A steering handlebar 13 is integrally attached to the upper portion
of the steering shaft 11, and the front wheels 2 are steered left
and right via the steering shaft 11 in response to the operation of
the steering handlebar 13.
[0022] The front part of the vehicle body frame 4 is attached with
the resin vehicle body cover 51 that covers the front part of the
vehicle body from above, a resin front fender 52 that covers both
front wheels 2 from above toward the rear, and a front protector 53
that covers the front side of vehicle body cover 51. The rear part
of the vehicle body frame 4 is attached with a resin rear fender 55
that covers both rear wheels 3 from the front side to the upper
side and a rear carrier 56 made mainly of steel.
[0023] A fuel tank 14 is disposed between the steering shaft 11 and
the passenger seat 5. The fuel tank 14 is supported on the upper
part of the vehicle body frame 4. Fuel inside the fuel tank 14 is
supplied to the engine 8 by a fuel pump provided inside the fuel
tank 14.
[0024] The engine 8 is disposed in the front and rear center of the
vehicle body frame 4. The engine 8 is an internal combustion
engine. The engine 8 is, for example, driven by fuel inside the
fuel tank 14. The engine 8 is, for example, a water-cooled single
cylinder engine.
[0025] A crank and a transmission are accommodated inside a case 9
that is provided at the lower part of the engine 8. The
transmission inside the case 9 is connected to the propeller shafts
for the front wheels and rear wheels, respectively, and the
rotational driving force of the engine 8 is transmitted to the
front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 through the propeller shafts.
As a result, a four-wheel drive driving system in which the front
wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 are rotationally driven by the
driving force of the engine 8 is configured. It is noted that the
driving system of the straddle type vehicle 100 may include a
driving system switching mechanism that makes it possible to switch
to two-wheel drive that drives either the front wheels 2 or the
rear wheels 3.
[0026] An exhaust pipe 10 is connected to the engine 8. The exhaust
pipe 10 extends rearward from the engine 8 and is connected to an
exhaust muffler 500. The exhaust muffler 500 is disposed to the
rear of the vehicle body frame 4. Specifically, the exhaust muffler
500 is attached to the rear pipe 43. The exhaust gas of the engine
8 is discharged from the exhaust discharge port at the rear end of
the exhaust muffler 500 through the exhaust pipe 10 and the exhaust
muffler 500. The exhaust system of the engine 8 is configured by
the exhaust pipe 10 and the exhaust muffler 500.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram showing the exhaust muffler
500. The exhaust muffler 500 is attached with a muffler cover 510
that mainly covers the upper side of the exhaust muffler 500. The
muffler cover 510 is attached to the exhaust muffler 500 by at
least a substantially cylindrical band 512. The muffler cover 510
mainly suppresses the upward release of heat from the exhaust
muffler 500. The muffler cover 510 is provided apart from the
exhaust muffler 500 so that air flows between the muffler cover 510
and the exhaust muffler 500.
[0028] A muffler stay 520 and a muffler stay 522 are fixed to the
outer peripheral surface of the exhaust muffler 500. The muffler
stay 520 and the muffler stay 522 are welded to the outer
peripheral surface of the exhaust muffler 500. The exhaust muffler
500 is attached to the rear pipe 43 via the muffler stay 520, the
muffler stay 522, and cushioning 530.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an
attachment portion of the exhaust muffler 500. A pipe stay 432 is
joined to the rear pipe 43. The cushioning 530 is provided inside a
collar 434 that is joined to the pipe stay 432. The cushioning 530
is formed of a rubber material and has a substantially cylindrical
shape. The muffler stay 522 is attached to the pipe stay 432 via
the cushioning 530 by a fastening member 535 that is inserted
inside a through hole in the center of the cushioning 530. As a
result, vibration generated in the exhaust muffler 500 can be made
difficult to be transmitted to the rear pipe 43.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view schematically
showing the structure of the exhaust muffler 500. FIG. 5 is a
cross-sectional perspective view of the exhaust muffler 500 cut
along a vertical plane including an axis L1 of the exhaust muffler
500 in a state where the exhaust muffler 500 is installed on the
straddle type vehicle 100. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional
diagram schematically showing a support structure of a catalyst
device 700 inside the exhaust muffler 500. FIG. 7 is a
cross-sectional diagram of a cross-section taken along the line AA
of FIG. 5.
[0031] The exhaust muffler 500 has an outer shell formed by the
muffler body 602. The muffler body 602 is formed including a body
portion 610, a front wall 612, and a rear wall 614. The body
portion 610 is formed by winding a stainless steel outer plate in a
cylindrical shape and butt welding the free ends of the outer plate
to one another. The front wall 612 closes the front end of the body
portion 610. The rear wall 614 closes the rear end of the body
portion 610. The rear end of the exhaust pipe 10 is joined to the
front wall 612. A discharge pipe 615 forming an exhaust discharge
port that opens to the outside is joined to the rear wall 614.
[0032] The front wall 612 and the rear wall 614 are formed by
stainless steel plates. The front wall 612 has a peripheral wall
613 joined to the front end of the body portion 610 by welding.
Similarly, the rear wall 614 is joined to the rear end of the body
portion 610 by welding.
[0033] The middle part in the front-rear direction of the inside
the muffler body 602 is partitioned into a front gas chamber 620
and a rear gas chamber 622 by a first partition wall 640. The first
partition wall 640 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the
outer plate that forms an inner wall 606 of the body portion 610 of
the muffler body 602. The rear gas chamber 622 is partitioned into
a rear first gas chamber 624 and a rear second gas chamber 626 by a
second partition wall 660 that is welded to the inner wall 606 of
the body portion 610.
[0034] The catalyst device 700 is accommodated across the front gas
chamber 620 and the rear first gas chamber 624. The catalyst device
700 is supported by at least the first partition wall 640.
[0035] A communication hole 651 and a communication hole 652 are
formed through the first partition wall 640. In addition, a
communication pipe 662 is provided through the second partition
wall 660. The front gas chamber 620, the rear first gas chamber
624, and the rear second gas chamber 626 communicate with one
another through the communication hole 651, the communication hole
652, and the communication pipe 662. As a result, it is possible
for the front gas chamber 620, the rear first gas chamber 624, and
the rear second gas chamber 626 to function substantially as a
single gas chamber.
[0036] The rear second gas chamber 626 is provided with a partition
wall 630 having a wave-like portion 628. The wave-like portion 628
generates vortex flows in various directions in the exhaust gas
passing through the wave-like portion 628. The discharge pipe 615
is provided further to the rear than the partition wall 630 in the
rear second gas chamber 626.
[0037] The catalyst device 700 has a substantially cylindrical
shape. The catalyst device 700 includes a body portion 710, an
enlarged cylinder portion 712, and a throttle cylinder portion 714.
The enlarged cylinder portion 712 of the catalyst device 700 is an
example of a front wall provided at the front part of the body
portion 710. The enlarged cylinder portion 712 has a rear end
joined to the front end of the body portion 710 by welding and a
front end joined to the exhaust pipe 10 by welding. The body
portion 710, the enlarged cylinder portion 712, and the throttle
cylinder portion 714 of the catalyst device 700 are formed of
stainless steel plates.
[0038] The throttle cylinder portion 714 is an example of a rear
wall provided at the rear portion of the body portion 710. The
front end of the throttle cylinder portion 714 is joined to the
rear end of the body portion 710 by welding. The rear end of the
throttle cylinder portion 714 opens into the rear first gas chamber
624. The exhaust gas flowing into the catalyst device 700 from the
exhaust pipe 10 is purified by the catalyst device 700 and flows
into the rear first gas chamber 624.
[0039] The catalyst device 700 includes a catalyst 780. The
catalyst 780 is a metal catalyst supported on a metallic carrier.
The metallic carrier is accommodated in the cylindrical body
portion 710. The metallic carrier is processed into a
honeycomb-type cylinder by bending a metal plate. The catalyst is,
for example, a metal catalyst such as platinum, rhodium, or
palladium.
[0040] The exhaust gas generated by the operation of the engine 8
is guided into the exhaust muffler 500 through the exhaust pipe 10.
The exhaust gas that has been guided inside the exhaust muffler 500
flows into the catalyst device 700. The exhaust gas is purified of
harmful components such as HC, CO, and NO.sub.x by the catalyst 780
inside the catalyst device 700 and flows into the rear first gas
chamber 624 of the exhaust muffler 500 through the catalyst device
700.
[0041] The exhaust gas that has flowed into the rear first gas
chamber 624 flows into the rear second gas chamber 626 through the
communication pipe 662. The exhaust gas that has flowed into the
rear second gas chamber 626 passes through the wave-like portion
628. The wave-like portion 628 generates vortex flows in various
directions in the exhaust gas passing through the wave-like portion
628. The silencing effect is enhanced by the interference of the
vortex flows of the exhaust gas that are generated by the wave-like
portion 628. The exhaust gas that has passed through the wave-like
portion 628 passes through the discharge pipe 615 and is discharged
to the outside.
[0042] It is noted that the exhaust muffler 500 becomes hot due to
the reaction heat in the catalyst device 700 in addition to the
heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the engine 8. For this
reason, heat is radiated from the exhaust muffler 500. Heat that
radiates upward from the exhaust muffler 500 is blocked by the
muffler cover 510. As a result, since it is possible to suppress
the radiation of heat toward the passenger seat 5, it is possible
to suppress the rise of temperature near the passenger seat 5.
[0043] Next, a further description is given of the support
structure of the catalyst device 700 inside the exhaust muffler
500. The catalyst device 700 is supported by the first partition
wall 640 and the front wall 612 so as to be inclined rearward and
upward inside the muffler body 602. An axis L2 of the catalyst
device 700 intersects the axis L1 of the muffler body 602. This
makes it possible to accommodate a longer catalyst device 700. For
this reason, it is possible to improve the exhaust gas purification
performance.
[0044] The first partition wall 640 includes an inner partition
wall 641 and an outer partition wall 642. The inner partition wall
641 and the outer partition wall 642 are formed of stainless steel
plates.
[0045] An inner surface 643 of the inner partition wall 641 is the
inner surface of the first partition wall 640. The inner surface
643 of the inner partition wall 641 is joined to an outer wall 704
of the body portion 710 of the catalyst device 700 by welding. FIG.
8 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of the outer
partition wall 642. An outer surface 646 of the outer partition
wall 642 is the outer surface of the first partition wall 640. The
outer surface 646 of the outer partition wall 642 is joined to the
inner wall 606 of the body portion 610 of the exhaust muffler 500
by welding.
[0046] A contact surface 644 of the inner partition wall 641 comes
in contact with a contact surface 645 of the outer partition wall
642. The contact surface 644 and the contact surface 645 are not
joined and are slidable with respect to one another when in
contact. The inner partition wall 641 and the outer partition wall
642 are slidably fitted when the contact surface 645 and the
contact surface 644 are in contact. As a result, it is possible to
improve the assemblability of the catalyst device 700 inside the
exhaust muffler 500. In addition, even when the catalyst device 700
changes in axial length due to the influence of heat, it is
possible for the inner partition wall 641 to support the catalyst
device 700 while sliding with respect to the outer partition wall
642.
[0047] The contact surface 644 and the contact surface 645 are
cylindrical surfaces centered around the axis L2. As shown in FIG.
6, the centers of the cylinders of the contact surface 644 and the
contact surface 645 coincide with the axis L1 or are located near
the axis L1. For this reason, when the length of the catalyst
device 700 changes in the direction along the axis L2, it is
possible for the contact surface 644 and the contact surface 645 to
slide smoothly.
[0048] The inner partition wall 641 has a base portion 647 having
an inner surface 643 joined to the catalyst device 700, a guide
portion 648, and an outer peripheral portion 649 having the contact
surface 644. The guide portion 648 is a portion between the base
portion 647 and the outer peripheral portion 649. The guide portion
648 has a tapered shape that tapers toward the front.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 6, a first member 101 and a second member
102 of the exhaust pipe 10 and the front wall 612 of the exhaust
muffler 500 are joined by a weld bead 104. The second member 102 is
joined to the front end of the body portion 710 of the catalyst
device 700. When assembling the exhaust muffler 500, the catalyst
device 700 is inserted into the body portion 610 of the exhaust
muffler 500 in a state where the peripheral wall 613 of the front
wall 612 and the second member 102 are integrated by welding. At
this time, the outer partition wall 642 joined to the exhaust
muffler 500 is guided by the guide portion 648, the contact surface
645 and the contact surface 644 come in contact with one another,
and the outer partition wall 642 is fitted with the inner partition
wall 641. As a result, it is possible to easily assemble the
exhaust muffler 500.
[0050] It is noted that the communication hole 651 and the
communication hole 652 are formed through the outer partition wall
642. The front gas chamber 620 communicates with the rear gas
chamber 622 through the communication hole 651 and the
communication hole 652. As a result, it is possible to allow
exhaust gas to enter and exit between the front gas chamber 620 and
the rear gas chamber 622. It is noted that the communication hole
651 and the communication hole 652 may be formed through the inner
partition wall 641.
[0051] As described above, the exhaust muffler structure shown in
the present embodiment includes therein the catalyst device 700
having the catalyst 780 that purifies the exhaust gas of the engine
8, and has a structure connected to the exhaust pipe 10 that guides
the exhaust gas from the engine 8 to the exhaust muffler 500. One
end of the catalyst device 700 is connected to the exhaust pipe 10
and supported inside the exhaust muffler 500 via the exhaust pipe
10, and the body portion 710 of the catalyst device 700 is
supported by the first partition wall 640 having the inner
partition wall 641 and the outer partition wall 642 that is on the
outer side of the inner partition wall 641. The outer partition
wall 642 is fixed to the inner wall 606 of the exhaust muffler 500,
and the inner partition wall 641 is fixed to the outer wall 704 of
the catalyst device 700.
[0052] As a result, the exhaust muffler structure shown in the
present embodiment has a structure in which the catalyst device 700
can be supported at both ends inside the exhaust muffler 500. When
assembling the exhaust muffler 500, it is possible to assemble it
in a state where the inner partition wall 641 is fixed to the
catalyst device 700 and the outer partition wall 642 is fixed to
the body portion 610 of the exhaust muffler 500. For this reason,
it is possible to improve the assemblability and to stably hold the
catalyst device 700. As a result, it is possible to improve the
durability of the exhaust muffler 500 as a whole.
[0053] The outer partition wall 642 and the inner partition wall
641 respectively have the cylindrical contact surface 644 and the
contact surface 645 that come in contact with one another, and are
provided such that they are slidably fitted to one another. In
particular, when a metal catalyst having a catalyst supported on a
metal carrier is used as the catalyst 780, the expansion rate of
the catalyst device 700 becomes relatively large depending on the
temperature. According to the exhaust muffler structure shown in
the present embodiment, the extension of the axis direction of the
catalyst device 700 due to thermal expansion can be absorbed by the
sliding of the contact surface 644 and the contact surface 645. For
this reason, the support stability and the durability of the
catalyst device 700 can be further improved.
[0054] The exhaust muffler 500 has a cylindrical shape in which the
length of the axis L1 is longer than its diameter, and the front
and rear ends of the catalyst device 700 are attached at a
predetermined distance from the inner wall 606 of the exhaust
muffler 500. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult for
the heat of the catalyst device 700 to be transmitted to the
exhaust muffler 500 while stably supporting the catalyst device 700
inside the exhaust muffler 500. As a result, it is possible to
improve the heat resistance of the exhaust muffler 500. In
addition, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the body
portion 610 of the exhaust muffler 500 from becoming too high, and
to easily take measures against heat for the passenger and the
straddle type vehicle 100. In addition, it is possible to suppress
the generation of sound due to rattling of the outer plate of the
body portion 610 of the exhaust muffler 500.
[0055] The catalyst device 700 is supported inside the exhaust
muffler 500 by the first partition wall 640 such that the axis L2
of the catalyst device 700 is inclined with respect to the axis L1
of the exhaust muffler 500. In addition, the throttle cylinder
portion 714 is provided at the rear end of the catalyst device 700,
and the throttle cylinder portion 714 overlaps in the axis L1
direction of the exhaust muffler 500 with the communication pipe
662 that is provided through the second partition wall 660 that
partitions the inside of the exhaust muffler 500 into the rear
first gas chamber 624 and the rear second gas chamber 626.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, when viewed along the axis L1,
the rear end of the throttle cylinder portion 714 is positioned
further to the rear than the front end of the communication pipe
662.
[0056] According to this exhaust muffler structure, by inclining
the axis L2 of the catalyst device 700 with respect to the axis L1
of the exhaust muffler 500, it is possible to increase the distance
between the rear end of the catalyst device 700 and the second
partition wall 660 while securing the length of the catalyst device
700. In addition, it is possible to provide a structure in which
the exhaust gas turns back into a plurality of flows. For this
reason, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the
exhaust muffler 500. In addition, it is possible to improve the
silencing effect while reducing the exhaust resistance. In
addition, by inclining the axis L2 of the catalyst device 700 with
respect to the axis L1 of the exhaust muffler 500, it is possible
to adjust the position where the rear end of the catalyst device
700 comes near the body portion 610 of the exhaust muffler 500. By
inclining the catalyst device 700 such that the position where the
rear end of the catalyst device 700 comes near the body portion 610
of the exhaust muffler 500 is distanced from the rear wheels 3, it
is possible to take measures against heat of the straddle type
vehicle 100.
[0057] The contact surface 644 and the contact surface 645 are
formed centered around the inclined axis passing through the center
of the exhaust muffler 500. As a result, in comparison to when the
center axis of the fitting surface of the contact surfaces are
provided leaning inward or outward, it is possible to form the
inner partition wall 641 and the outer partition wall 642 more
evenly and widely. For this reason, since it is possible to form
the region where the contact surface 644 and the contact surface
645 slide and fit to be sufficiently wide, the durability of the
first partition wall 640 can be improved.
[0058] The enlarged cylinder portion 712 that connects the exhaust
pipe 10 and the catalyst device 700 is connected to the upstream
side of the catalyst device 700, and the enlarged cylinder portion
712 is a component having the same shape as the throttle cylinder
portion 714. As a result, it is possible to share the parts that
form the catalyst device 700. For this reason, it is possible to
improve the productivity and to reduce manufacturing costs.
[0059] The communication hole 651 and the communication hole 652
are formed through the outer partition wall 642. As a result, it is
possible for the exhaust gas to flow back and forth between the
front gas chamber 620 and the rear gas chamber 622 that are
partitioned by the first partition wall 640. For this reason, it is
possible to improve the silencing effect. It is noted that the
communication holes may be formed through at least one of the inner
partition wall 641 and the outer partition wall 642.
[0060] As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, in a state where the
exhaust muffler 500 is installed on the straddle type vehicle 100,
the communication hole 651 and the communication hole 652 are
positioned on the lower side and the inner side of the exhaust
muffler 500. Specifically, the communication hole 651 and the
communication hole 652 are at least positioned on the lower side of
the axis L1 of the exhaust muffler 500 and on the inner side of the
inner wall 606 of the muffler body 602. For this reason, since high
temperature exhaust gas passes under the exhaust muffler 500 when
going back and forth between the rear first gas chamber 624 and the
front gas chamber 620, it is possible to improve the drainage
property of water droplets accumulated on the lower portion inside
the exhaust muffler 500. In addition, since the portion where the
exhaust muffler 500 becomes hot due to the high temperature exhaust
gas is positioned closer toward the inner side, it is possible to
reduce the size of the muffler cover 510 for blocking heat from the
exhaust muffler 500.
[0061] The exhaust pipe 10 is integral with the front wall 612
including the peripheral wall 613 that covers the upstream side of
the exhaust muffler 500 and is also integral with the inner
partition wall 641. The inner partition wall 641 is provided with a
tapered guide portion 648. As a result, among the steps of
assembling the catalyst device 700 inside the exhaust muffler 500,
it is possible to perform the step of fitting the inner partition
wall 641 and the outer partition wall 642 while fitting the
peripheral wall 613 and the front end of the body portion 610 of
the exhaust muffler 500 efficiently. For this reason, it is
possible to improve the productivity of the exhaust muffler 500.
The length of the guide portion 648 in the axis L2 direction is
preferably longer than the length of the contact surface 645 of the
outer partition wall 642 in the axis L2 direction. As a result, it
is possible to improve the assemblability when assembling the
catalyst device 700 in the exhaust muffler 500.
[0062] The exhaust pipe 10 is formed by the first member 101 and
the second member 102, and the peripheral wall 613, the first
member 101, and the second member 102 are integrated by the weld
bead 104. As a result, it is possible to make the portion
integrated by welding into a substantially linear form while
improving the degree of freedom at which the exhaust pipe 10 bends.
As a result, it is possible to improve the weldability. Therefore,
it is possible to improve the reliability and productivity.
[0063] As described above, according to the exhaust muffler
structure shown in the present embodiment, it is possible to
improve the assemblability of the exhaust muffler while stably
supporting the catalyst device 700 inside the exhaust muffler
500.
[0064] A four-wheel straddle type vehicle classified as an ATV is
described above. However, the exhaust muffler structure relating to
the exhaust muffler 500 may be applied to a straddle type vehicle
other than an ATV. In addition, the exhaust muffler structure
relating to the exhaust muffler 500 may be applied to a three-wheel
straddle type vehicle or a two-wheel straddle type vehicle such as
a motorcycle.
[0065] While the embodiments of the present invention have been
described, the technical scope of the invention is not limited to
the above described embodiments. It is apparent to persons skilled
in the art that various alterations and improvements can be added
to the above-described embodiments. In addition, the matters
described in the specific embodiment can be applied to other
embodiments within a technically consistent range. It is also
apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added
with such alterations or improvements can be included in the
technical scope of the invention.
[0066] The operations, procedures, steps, and stages of each
process performed by an apparatus, system, program, and method
shown in the claims, embodiments, or diagrams can be performed in
any order as long as the order is not indicated by "prior to,"
"before," or the like and as long as the output from a previous
process is not used in a later process. Even if the process flow is
described using phrases such as "first" or "next" in the claims,
embodiments, or diagrams, it does not necessarily mean that the
process must be performed in this order.
EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
[0067] 2 Front wheel [0068] 3 Rear wheel [0069] 4 Vehicle body
frame [0070] 5 Passenger seat [0071] 6 Front suspension [0072] 8
Engine [0073] 9 Case [0074] 10 Exhaust pipe [0075] 11 Steering
shaft [0076] 13 Steering handlebar [0077] 14 Fuel tank [0078] 41
Upper pipe [0079] 42 Lower pipe [0080] 43 Rear pipe [0081] 51
Vehicle body cover [0082] 52 Front fender [0083] 53 Front protector
[0084] 55 Rear fender [0085] 56 Rear carrier [0086] 100 Straddle
type vehicle [0087] 101 First member [0088] 102 Second member
[0089] 104 Weld bead [0090] 410 Upper inclined portion [0091] 412
Rear inclined portion [0092] 424 Lower horizontal portion [0093]
426 Rear inclined portion [0094] 432 Pipe stay [0095] 434 Collar
[0096] 500 Exhaust muffler [0097] 510 Muffler cover [0098] 512 Band
[0099] 520 Muffler stay [0100] 522 Muffler stay [0101] 530
Cushioning [0102] 535 Fastening member [0103] 602 Muffler body
[0104] 606 Inner wall [0105] 610 Body portion [0106] 612 Front wall
[0107] 613 Peripheral wall [0108] 614 Rear wall [0109] 615 Exhaust
pipe [0110] 620 Front gas chamber [0111] 622 Rear gas chamber
[0112] 624 Rear first gas chamber [0113] 626 Rear second gas
chamber [0114] 628 Wave-like portion [0115] 630 Partition wall
[0116] 640 Partition wall [0117] 641 Inner partition wall [0118]
642 Outer partition wall [0119] 643 Inner surface [0120] 644
Contact surface [0121] 645 Contact surface [0122] 646 Outer surface
[0123] 647 Base portion [0124] 648 Guide portion [0125] 649 Outer
peripheral portion [0126] 651, 652 Communication hole [0127] 660
Partition wall [0128] 662 Communication pipe [0129] 700 Catalyst
device [0130] 704 Outer wall [0131] 710 Body portion [0132] 712
Enlarged cylinder portion [0133] 714 Throttle cylinder portion
[0134] 780 Catalyst
* * * * *